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Inside The Actors Studio – Jim Carrey

“If my career in show business hadn’t panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario at the Dofasco steel mill.”

Jim Carrey was once quoted as saying that he wished everyone could become rich, famous, and get everything that they want – so that they could find out it doesn’t make you happy. He wasn’t always rich & famous though.

Jim was born in Newmarket Ontario on January 17, in 1962. The family was working class and Jim often despaired of making it big. By the time he took a job as a night cleaner at a local factory he was having some serious depression issues. An article in the National Enquirer many years ago quoted Jim as saying that he’d get so pissed off with his lot in life back then that during the night shift he would sometimes take a bat to some of the machinery. When the manager would ask him what the fuck had happened the next day he’d tell him that the floor buffer had gotten out of control.

Eventually Carrey found his way into stand up, by way of impersonations. His first gig at Toronto’s Yuk-Yuks bombed. So Carrey thought about calling it quits. However he stuck with working open mike nights and eventually paid performances. Eventually Rodney Dangerfield crossed his path and helped him with his career – as he did with so many like Roseanne Barr for instance.

Carrey’s breakthrough came through In Living Color back in the very early 90’s. His characters like the Fire Marshall and female body builder Vera DeMilo became fan favorites. After that it was a quick rise to fame in movies like Ace Ventura. Carrey never forgot the early struggles though and one rum our has it that his first 10 million check for film work was buried with his father as a tribute to the many who always encouraged despite his own career and financial struggles.

Since making it to the A List Carrey has had his ups and downs. He gained critical acclaim with movies like Man On The Moon, where he portrayed brilliant and quirky comedian Andy Kaufman. He’s also had some hi profile relationships, & break ups. So if he wants to say that success isn’te verything in life, he’s probably in a pretty good position to make that call.

Here’s Jim Carrey now in his interview at The Actors Studio. So if you’ve got about 30 mins then sit back and listen to Big Jim tell it in his own words. Enjoy.

So the upshot is that Jim’s life got off to a rough start but it’s turned out successfully so far.The moral of the story might well be that if you think about giving up, then think twice.